Looking ahead to a distant NFL future, maybe 50 years from now, an NFL quarterback might be asked about the Peyton Manning record he just broke. Providing that quarterback is not one of the 15 or 20 Manning passing descendants to come through the league, he had better know Peyton's number.

The Peyton Manning of 2013 is playing at a historic level. He conjured up the likes of Y.A. Tittle and Joe Kapp by throwing seven touchdown passes in the season opener. He and his Broncos are on the kind of dominant winning streak that recalls Sid Luckman and the Chicago Bears of the 1940s.

After throwing four more touchdown passes in the Broncos' 52-20 pasting of the Philadelphia Eagles on a spectacular late-September Sunday afternoon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Manning reached an incremental touchdown record that passed the likes of Slingin' Sammy Baugh, "Dandy" Don Meredith and Kurt "Grocery Bagger" Warner.

Manning has thrown 16 touchdown passes with zero interceptions through four games. Not since Milt Plum in 1960 has a quarterback started the season with 16 scoring throws without an interception. The difference is, it took Plum 10 games to throw his 16. And he threw an interception later in Game 10.

"I'm throwing out 16 as his (uniform) number — is that right?" Manning said correctly. "My brother Cooper and I used to play a lot of trivia when we used to take road trips with my dad. So Cooper would be proud that I did know Plum."

As Manning walked away from the podium in his postgame news conference, he was asked about Baugh's number. Momentarily, Manning said No. 42, but he soon realized that was Luckman's number. Manning has been passing so many greats in recent weeks, it's difficult to keep them straight.

"No. 33," Manning said correctly of Baugh's number.

Before Manning signed to play with the Broncos before the 2012 season, he already was considered one of the all-time best quarterbacks. In the 20 regular-season games since he has donned bright orange, Manning has been absurd, leading the Broncos to 17 victories on 53 touchdown passes against only 11 interceptions. He has gone to a level through four games this season that not even the greatest of the greats have gone before.

"What do you need to say about it?" Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson said before turning to his partner, Terrance Knighton. "What do you say about it?"

"I mean, if you don't score," Knighton said, "we're going to score."

Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker pulls in a long pass from quarterback Peyton Manning late in the first half against the Eagles. More photos. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Imagine the pressure that was on quarterback Michael Vick and the Eagles' offense. They had it going for a while, drawing within 14-13 early in the second quarter. But the Eagles stopped scoring. And the Broncos scored the next 38 points.

Manning didn't play in the fourth quarter as backup Brock Osweiler got some playing time with the Broncos up 49-13.

The 52 points was one of several franchise records the Broncos set.

"I did not know that," said Manning, showing an apparent trivia weakness beyond the national realm. "Might have to give Thunder an IV after that one."

The Broncos' four-legged gelding has been busy running around the field after Denver touchdowns since his team brought in Manning to lead. The victory Sunday was the Broncos' 15th in a row during the regular season, breaking the franchise record on a day when Tom Nalen was inducted into the Ring of Fame. Nalen was the starting center on the 1997 and 1998 Broncos who won 14 in a row. John Elway was the starting quarterback for most of that streak and was the Broncos' front-office boss who quarterbacked the recruitment of free agent Manning last year.

"I came in here and played against Elway in '98," said Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, the color analyst of the Broncos-Eagles game for Fox-TV. "And he went for about five touchdowns in five possessions in the first half. So that was awfully good."

Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick runs from the Broncos defense in the first quarter. More photos. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

That's a reminder that historical perspective is tricky when judged by contemporaries.

In the span of seven days — starting with his Monday night drubbing of the Oakland Raiders and finishing Sunday with his carving of the Eagles — Manning completed 60-of-71 passes for 701 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

By winning all 15 games by at least seven points, Manning's Broncos have the longest such streak since the Luckman-quarterbacked Chicago Bears won 16 in a row by such margins in 1941 and 1942.

Manning's 16 touchdown passes through four games broke the NFL record of 14 touchdown passes set by Baugh in 1943 and tied by Meredith in 1966 and Warner in 1999.

Sorry, Sammy. After 70 years, that four-game TD record no longer belongs to No. 33.

Manning broke into the NFL as its No. 1 choice in 1998 and it's gone long past the point where he has been considered a legend in his own time. It's only right that one of the cherished records he has next in his sights is one engineered by Manning himself.

The NFL record of 23 consecutive regular-season games was set by the 2008-09 Indianapolis Colts. You know who quarterbacked that team.

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